cushion cover with highland cow #2

No blogging is not equal to not sewing or quilting. Since my last post, I have finished the quilt for my Mum and a few small cushion projects. In my the first post after my extended blogging holidays, I would like to show you a cushion cover. The pattern is the highland cow from the book Animal Quilts by Juliet van der Heijden, website The Tartankiwi.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

This cushion cover was a wish from my friend Alice. She liked the highland cow cushion cover I made two years ago. Alice asked for a beige background instead of turquoise. But happy, colorful highland cow hair.

I have used my diverse Kona solids from stock, the background is Kona Ivory.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

Quilting design is the same as the last cow cushion cover. Straight lines on the background. Copying the hair and face with colorful quilting thread.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

I have inserted a zipper on the cushion bottom. The cushion backside is with same Kona Ivory as the cow background. This time I have quilted the back in diagonal lines, 1 inch apart and stitch length of 4mm.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts
cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

Highland cow cushion cover with a laurel bush in the background.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

I was taking the photos one late afternoon with less sunshine than we have normally. So this time each photo has an individual touch.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

A photo of the cushion top before turning it into a cushion cover. It was so much fun working on a paper piecing project after some time. All my other projects were “pure cutting and piecing” patterns.

cushion cover highland cow - skalabara quilts

Where has the summer gone? We are now heading for Christmas. The cool and dark days are here. This gives me more time to prepare new posts instead of going to the beach. I hope you have enjoyed reading my post! Happy quilting!

barbora flower small skalabara quilts

placemats for andrea

During the corona lockdown times, I have more time for sewing and quilting. Andrea asked. If I could make her a set of placemats. Something geometrical, maybe triangles. And in her her favourite colours : blues, pinks, purples and turquoise.

placemats 5 - skalabara quilts

I have seen this pattern some time ago on Craftsy/Bluprint, and saved this project for later. The pattern is by Jess Toye and the name is Thirty-Two Carat Paper-Piecing Pattern. I loved the design, and this is the right pattern for Andrea’s placemats.

placemats 1 - skalabara quilts

placemats 2 - skalabara quilts

Jesse has written the pattern instructions very well. In the pattern she explains both cutting and paper-piecing steps. Jesse has also included in the pdf file a few project ideas with this paper-pieced block. From placemats to a king size quilt and with different color options. Thanks to my fabric on stock, I could choose the (hopefully) right colours for Andrea.

placemats 3 - skalabara quilts

placemats 4 - skalabara quilts

Quilted with the walking foot in straight lines, 1/2″ apart. I have used quilting cotton thread King Tut 40/3 from Superior Threads, variegated color 939

placemats detail 4 - skalabara quilts

placemats detail 1 - skalabara quilts

Binding is Kona Solid in Bright Pink. To attach the binding I have used Mettler cotton quilting thread 40, color 959.

placemats detail 2 - skalabara quilts

placemats detail 3 - skalabara quilts

The backing fabric is once more Bomull calico from IKEA, 100% unbleached cotton.

placemats quilting 1 - skalabara quilts

placemats 9 - skalabara quilts

placemats 8 - skalabara quilts

placemats 3 - skalabara quilts

Placemat size : 12″ x 18″ / paper-pieced unit size : 3″ x 9″

 

Thanks for visiting, keep safe and carry on sewing

barbora   flower small skalabara quilts

tri bull blocks quilted

It has been some time since I have made the two tri bull blocks. I checked my original post and it has been more than a year and half ago!? Gosh, where did the time go? I added fabric to the original block and now both blocks are 20″ x 20″. A good size for cushion covers.

Block A – the one with better fabric choice :

19 CU tribull A 1

19 CU tribull A 5

19 CU tribull A 7

19 CU tribull A back 1

And block B – the first one I made, my color choice was not so ideal :

19 CU tribull B 1

19 CU tribull B 4

19 CU tribull B 7

19 CU tribull B back 1

And here to compare the two blocks and quilting :

 

 

Thanks for visiting, happy quilting!

barbora flower small skalabara quilts

quilt along part 3

Well, hello everyone! It has been some time since my last post. This late summer and autumn, I took time off from sewing and patchwork, but enjoyed reading instead. I have found some great books and couldn’t stop reading them. I was a very regular customer in the wonderful bookstores in the city center of Prague. Not only did I get books in my native language Czech but also in German and English.

Autumn has arrived and let the outdoor temperatures drop. And I have finally finished piecing the rest of the Summer Sampler 2019 blocks. I could check my skills in different piecing techniques. Accurate cutting and piecing. Improvisational piecing, sewing curves, foundation paper piecing, hexagons, flying geese, half rectangle blocks.

So, here the last batch of photos before I start piecing the quilt top. Summer Sampler 2019 blocks #14 – #21 :

summer sampler 2019 block 14 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 15 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 16 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 17 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 18 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 19 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 20 - skalabara quilts
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summer sampler 2019 block 21 - skalabara quilts
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Even though there are two alternative finishings in the Quilt Along, I will make my design. Both quilts designs are very large. Far too large to quilt on a normal sewing machine.
Till next time, happy quilting                 barbora   flower small skalabara quilts

quilt along part 2

Catching up with the Summer Sampler 2019 blocks. I have cut and pieced (nearly) all blocks. Each block is so different, with diverse sewing techniques. But all blocks are fun to make and with each block I have learned something new. All tips, hints and video tutorials are super helpful. At the moment, I have only put one block to the side: Oasis block with circles.

Summer Sampler 2019 blocks #6 – #8:

summer sampler 2019 block 6 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 7 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 8 - skalabara quilts

The center piece (petrol hue) is approx. 1 1/4″ finished, the next star in turquoise and orange is 4″ finished size. This was a real challenge!

summer sampler 2019 block 8 detail - skalabara quilts

Summer Sampler 2019 blocks #10 – #13:

summer sampler 2019 block 10 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 11 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 12 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 13 - skalabara quilts

Blocks with curves:

summer sampler 2019 block 11 + 6 - skalabara quilts

Foundation paper piecing blocks:

summer sampler 2019 block 7 + 10 - skalabara quilts

summer sampler 2019 block 8 quer - skalabara quilts

 

Looking forward to work on the next blocks, happy quilting

barbora  flower small skalabara quilts